Take To The Sky
by Memoryn
Summary: Thanks to the actions of the Winx Club, there has been peace in the Magic Dimension for decades. But with an ancient source of good dying and an old foe reawakening, that peace is ending - and it's up to four Alfea first-years to save the day as best they can.


**Episode One: The Fantasy Begins**

Nerida stared at the letter and thanked the Dragon that she was home alone. There it was, its clean, white envelope contrasting sharply with the unpaid bills and other letters addressed to her parents: a letter from Alfea College for Fairies, addressed to _her._

She hadn't even _applied_ to the school, though it was something she always dreamed of - there was no way she'd ever be able to afford it without having her family starve for the rest of their lives, and her magic was nowhere near practical or useful or _powerful_ enough to warrant a scholarship. So for the letter to come to _her_ home, in the slums of Eraklyon, where she was the only fairy for miles, where nothing ever happened aside from petty crime...it must've meant _something,_ right?

With trembling hands, Nerida opened the letter. "Dear Nerida," she whispered, "You are cordially invited to attend Alfea College for Fairies as a first-year scholarship student. As you did not apply formally for our school, the rest of your admissions papers are attached -"

"Nerida, what the _heck_ are you talking about?"

Nerida whipped around - she'd been standing in the middle of the living room to read the letter, and didn't even notice her older sister Corrina coming home from school. When they stood next to each other, it was clear that Nerida was adopted; her brown eyes and long, golden blonde hair stood out starkly against Corrina's pale blue eyes and dark brown hair. The younger girl quickly hid the letter behind her back and said, "I-it's nothing!"

"Nothing. Yeah, right. If it's _nothing,_ why don't you show me what you have hidden behind your back?"

"No, Corrina, please, i-it's nothing," Nerida insisted, attempting unsuccessfully to steady her voice. "I...I need to go do homework."

"Fine." Corrina crossed her arms and began walking into her own room. "It's probably just a prank letter, anyway, whatever it is. Do you actually think anyone would be writing to you?"

"No," Nerida mumbled, once her sister was far out of earshot. Nerida walked into her room, closing the door behind her. It must've been a prank, she realized, flopping onto her bed with a sigh - one of the boys at school probably bought enchanted paper to make it look like Alfea's parchment.

Still - though she was absolutely sure, then, that it was some kind of prank, she took out a pen and began to read the rest of the letter.

 _Dear Nerida,_

 _You are cordially invited to attend Alfea College for Fairies as a first-year scholarship student._

 _As you did not apply formally for our school, the rest of your admissions papers are attatched. Please fill them out at your earliest convenience. Your answers will be automatically transferred into Alfea's computer system._

 _In addition, on the last page of these papers, there is a teleportation coin. Do not touch it until you have completely packed your bags and have filled out the forms completely, as touching it will immediately transfer you to Alfea. It is a one way trip._

 _We hope to see you soon for the new school year! The new term starts in 17 days, eight hours and 13 minutes._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Headmistress Faragonda_

Nerida ran her index finger over Faragonda's name. Though she'd heard of the famous fairy, she'd never seen her signature before. She then looked at the new term date - it was clearly enchanted to show exactly when the new year started.

Maybe it _was_ real. Maybe she'd be able to get far, far away from the bullies at school, and from her older sister, and from the worst neighborhood in the beautiful planet of Eraklyon...she could leave without a trace. Her family wouldn't know at all.

If it _was_ a lie, what was the worst thing that could happen? She knew the slums like the back of her hand, and could probably get home easily from wherever those boys teleported her.

She turned the page with a surge of confidence, and began filling out the forms with a flourish.

* * *

The portal closed. "Graziella," asked Arcadia, turning to her mermaid companion, "You _did_ inform Faragonda about the girl, correct? I'd hate for there to be complications in her enrollment."

"I did the second you created her," she replied, sighing. "I'm just not sure it wouldn't be better to send her here directly. What if she makes friends at that school? Or if she falls in love? Or...or _worse_?"

"She needs to learn how to use magic before she can even _think_ about guarding the Water Stars. And _I_ can't teach her. The more magic I use, the more of my life force is drained." Arcadia sighed. "Even that portal took more than I thought."

"It's _your_ fault that she doesn't know how to use magic already."

"It is," Arcadia agreed, to Graziella's surprise. "But Alfea is a fantastic school. She'll learn well there. And when the time is right, I'll finally get to meet her and explain her duties."

"You're talking about her as if she's your daughter."

"Isn't she, in a way? Since I created her?"

Graziella sighed. "You fairies have mystified me for millenia."

"I'm not asking you to understand me. As strange as it may sound, I know what I'm doing."

"I don't doubt that either. I'm mystified regardless." Graziella gave her friend a small smile.

Arcadia returned it, and then sat down. "I'm going to rest. Tell the others about what's happening, would you?"

"I will," Graziella promised, sighing. Though she didn't always agree with Arcadia, the realization had set in that she'd miss her extremely once she was gone.

* * *

"Well, it's official," Chrys announced, halfway through dinner, his dark blue eyes shining in excitement. "I got the letter. I got accepted into Redfountain."

"Oh, honey, that's great news!" Flora exclaimed, clasping her hands together.

"You're going to love it at Redfountain, Chrys," added Helia, smiling proudly. "What classes are you thinking of taking?"

"I don't know yet. Dad, you'll help me choose, right?"

"Of course."

"Speaking of picking classes," Flora added, turning to her daughter. "Anthea, have you picked out what classes you'll be taking at Alfea?"

"I did a while ago, actually," replied Anthea, pushing up her glasses. "All the first-year ettiquite courses, plus magic theory, advanced botany, self defense magic, and transformations. Standard stuff, I suppose."

Chrys chuckled. "Advanced botany? Isn't that the class mom teaches?"

"It is. As a fairy with nature powers, it only makes sense for me to learn from the best."

Flora smiled. "Aw, honey. You'll be lovely to have in class, I'm sure."

"Just be prepared to grade all of her extra credit," added Chrys, rolling his eyes. " _All_ her extra credit."

"Just because I actually do my homework, Chrys -"

"I _so_ do my homework! I also happen to have a social life!"

"I don't _need_ a social life."

" _Everyone_ needs a social life. You included."

"Then explain why-"

" _Kids_ ," Helia interrupted sternly. He hadn't raised his voice - neither of their parents ever did - but his shift in tone made both children shut up. "There's no need to argue. Both of you are good at different things, and there's nothing wrong with that."

"Yes, dad," the twins mumbled in unison.

"I'm going to go to my room and study," Anthea announced, then, standing up and floating her dishes over to the sink. "Thank you for the meal, mom."

"Of course," Flora replied. She sent her husband a look - a look clearly reading, _please change the subject. I'll talk to Anthea later._

Helia nodded in response. "Anyways, Chrys - you're probably going to want to take some basic self-defense classes, as a refresher. You might not _think_ you need them, but it's always a good idea. And once you choose your specialty..."

* * *

"Anthy, darling, are you in here?"

"Mom? Oh, uh, yeah," Anthea replied, pushing up her glasses and closing her book. "Come on in."

Flora opened the door to her daughter's room and sat next to her on her bed. "Sweetie...you've been fighting with your brother a lot lately."

"I don't know where you're going with this."

"It's just..." Flora sighed. "Your father and I are worried, that's all. I just wanted to check up on you, make sure you were doing alright."

"I'm fine. If anything, I'm actually happy." Anthea smiled. "School's starting in 17 days! And I read that Alfea has the largest library in Magix. I'm thrilled."

"I'm glad to hear that, honey. And I know you'll love Alfea." Flora smiled back, putting a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "If I didn't go to Alfea, I never would've met your father."

"I'm not going there to make friends, mom. Or to date anyone," Anthea added, as an afterthought. "This is a chance for me to get educated."

"And maybe you'll make some friends along the way?"

"Maybe. But it's not my focus." Anthea sighed. "Mom, I know that the Winx Club is important to you. But I highly doubt that that kind of magic can be cast twice, so to speak." She paused. "Especially since it's _Marisol_ that I'll be in the same year with."

"I still don't understand why you two don't get along," Flora commented, raising an eyebrow. "From what Stella's told me, you two actually seem to be a lot alike."

"We can't be _that_ much alike," Anthea argued, crossing her arms.

"You might be right. She's probably changed quite a lot since the two of you were nine." Flora stood up and smirked. "Maybe you'll even start getting along!"

"And maybe Linphea will start industrializing!" Anthea replied, as her mother shut the door behind her.

* * *

Marisol knew for a fact that she was supposed to be at etiquette lessons, not sneaking into a hall of Solaria's royal palace to watch the royal guard practice fighting formations.

She also didn't care. Viscountess Moanne was a respected member of Solaria's royal court, but she was also the most crochety, ancient old woman in the realm. And really, when was she ever going to need to know the intricate details of Romulean politics when she was probably going to meet with Romuleans once or twice in her entire life?

...Though, to be fair, it wasn't like she needed to learn much about combat, either. There had been peace throughout the entire magical dimmension for, what, twenty years? Thirty? And from what little Marisol understood of inter-realm dealings, it looked like there was no chance whatsoever of that changing any time soon. And yet, the fairy of starlight found herself drawn to the precise, sharp moves of combat, and the excitement that came with war. She'd heard her mother describe fighting as much as she did as a teenager as something terrible, as something that kept her up at night...

"...But it's better than sitting around in a palace all day," Marisol mumbled, making sure to quiet her steps so that the royal guard didn't hear her. As she snuck up to watch them practice through a slightly cracked door, however, she was instead greeted with a verbal arguement between two people.

"You'll learn to love Solaria," said one of the combatants, who Marisol recognized after a few seconds - she was Duchess Lucasta, a middle-aged woman on Solaria's royal court. Marisol didn't know her personally - there were _tons_ of random dukes and duchesses and viscounts and viscountesses that Marisol had never met - but she _had_ read about Lucasta's numerous affairs in Magic Weekly.

"I was happy when I was on Melody," spat back the other voice, belonging to a male that Marisol _definitely_ didn't recognize. He was tall, with pale skin, warm brown eyes, black hair, and an incredibly sour expression on his face. "I was happy with dad."

"You can have everything you want if you're here! And would you have been able to enroll at Redfountain if I hadn't called you here?"

"Yes, I would've. I don't need your connections to be a good soldier. Maybe it's a shock to you, since you haven't even acknowledged the fact that I exist for twelve years, but I've gotten by just fine without you."

"And the way things are going now," Lucasta growled, "You'll have to get by without me again sooner rather than later."

"Good," replied the male. Lucasta literally turned up her nose as she left the practice room through a side door.

And just as Marisol prepared to leave, the male asked, "So how much did you hear?"

"Shit," Marisol muttered under her breath, entering the practice room as confidently as she could. "Listen, I didn't mean to-"

"How. Much. Did. You. Hear?" repeated the boy, emphasizing every word.

Marisol sighed. "Enough to figure out that you're from Melody, you're a first-year specialist over at RF, and you don't like Solaria much." She paused. "Also, how'd you know I was eavesdropping?"

"My hearing's good. It's a Melodian thing," the boy replied, with a shrug. "And, yeah, you're right. Maybe I'm just not used to it yet, but it's pretty...bright here."

Marisol laughed. "I've been to Melody. You guys are pretty much all sunset all the time, right? I mean, it's cool." She shifted, her expression darkening. "And I heard you arguing with Duchess Lucasta."

"Oh. Yeah. She's...well, she's my mother," he explained. "She called me to Solaria suddenly about a week ago, when she found out I got accepted into Redfountain. As long as I'm going there, I have to live with her, on this planet. It's not really what I want."

"Ah." Marisol paused. "I mean, if you want, I can ask my mom to deal with her," she offered, crossing her arms.

"What good would your mom do?"

"I mean, she's the queen of Solaria. She could probably do _something_."

"The queen of - wait." The boy turned around and looked Marisol in the eye. "Are you Princess Marisol?"

"The one and only. Don't try to suck up to me because I'm the princess, alright?" As if to emphasize that statement, the girl curtsied half-heartedly, though she was wearing shorts, not a skirt.

"O-oh. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Tai. And you don't have to ask your mother to do anything, by the way, uh -"

"Just say the word and I can."

"...Thanks."

"And, by the way," Marisol added, "I'm starting at Alfea this semester. So I'll see you around in case you change your mind." She walked out of the room, then, realizing she'd been ditching her class for way too long. She absently hoped her mother wouldn't find out.

* * *

"Mom, I can explain," Marisol argued. "You know how big this castle is. I still get lost sometimes."

"And where exactly were you in this big castle, hm?" Stella asked, stern.

"Um, you know, the...the east wing."

"Marisol, you're a terrible liar."

"I know I am." Marisol sighed. "Yeah, I ditched. I'm sorry."

"Don't think I'm not mad at you," Stella said, crossing her arms. "But this is actually about something else."

"Oh." Marisol shifted. "Then...?"

"Specifically," Stella continued, "There's something I want you to have. You're starting at Alfea soon, and my mother gave it to me when I was around your age, so..."

"So?"

Stella turned to face her daughter, and fished something from the pocket of her dress. "Reach out your hand."

"Mom, just tell me what it _is_ -"

"Reach out your hand!"

"Fine." Marisol _hmphed_ , but reluctantly reached out her hand.

Stella put something in it. "Okay, you can look now."

Marisol opened her hand and looked down at it. In her palm was a little light blue ring with an orange dot in the middle of it.

And then it hit her. "Mom, this is - this is the _Ring of Solaria_."

"Yes, it is."

"And you're giving this to me and not Chandra?"

"Your sister isn't the crown princess, is she?"

"Yeah, but she's _good_ at being a princess." Marisol frowned. "She never skips lessons, for example."

"I know she doesn't. But according to tradition, this ring is yours." Stella smiled.

Marisol smiled back, unable to contain her excitement. "I can't believe it," she murmured, putting it on her finger and admiring it.

"Neither could I. But it's your time." Stella ruffled her daughter's hair. "And if you want to keep it, you'll go to all your classes, right?"

"All of them," Marisol replied absently, still admiring the ring on her finger.

* * *

Queen Durdona of Permata shook her head. "I just don't understand why you're already all packed, dear. The new term doesn't start for a while yet."

"I know, I know. But I'm so excited!" Safira replied, eyes shining. "I'll get to meet other fairies! With other powers! They'll be so _cool -"_

"Safira, darling, you know that's not why you're going to Alfea," Durdona commented, crossing her arms.

"I know." Safira sighed. "But just - why do I even have to pick? Why can't I be the queen _and_ the guardian fairy?"

"It's tradition." Durdona sighed and sat down next to her daughter, wrapping an arm around the girl's shoulders.

"Maybe I'll become queen just to _end_ the tradition," Safira grumbled. "Nobody's more qualified to rule than I am. And _nobody_ is more qualified to guard a planet known for its precious stones than the fairy of precious stones, mom."

"I know. And whatever choice you make, your father and I will be right there with you." Durdona smiled.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm gonna go outside and practice flying," Safira said, eager to change the subject. The young fairy gave her mother a quick smile and flitted out the door.

Durdona sighed and stood up to walk out of her daughter's room. But before she could take a step, she fell to her knees. The queen took a few breaths to calm herself down - _whatever follows is just a vision,_ she reminded herself, before she let the energy flow through her. (She also thanked the Dragon that Safira didn't inherit her power of clairvoyance.)

 _A battlefield - not a battlefield on Permata, but a battlefield nonetheless. The king of the planet has his sword drawn, ready to fight whatever threat awaits him, but he opens his eyes in shock when he sees what he's dealing with._

Durdona snapped out of her vision and shook her head. "It must be some small moon having civil war," she told herself, picking herself up and walking out of the room.

* * *

 **A/N:** Heeey guys! I decided to re-write my next generation Winx fanfic, Take To The Sky, now that I suck at writing less.

I'm basing this story off of bits and pieces from every English Winx dub - I honestly think all three have their strengths and weaknesses. So if there'll be plot elements from all three/four(?) dubs included in this story.

So, now we've met our four heroines. In the next chapter, they meet each other - and some other characters, good and bad! Constructive criticism is always welcome :) Hopefully episode two will be out soon!


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